Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning
Background: Integrated primary care (IPC) is a final-year medical subject at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It focusses on primary health care training. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated existing decentralised training challenges, includin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2025-01-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/6034 |
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| _version_ | 1823858168564809728 |
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| author | Aviva Ruch Joel Francis Ann Z. George |
| author_facet | Aviva Ruch Joel Francis Ann Z. George |
| author_sort | Aviva Ruch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Integrated primary care (IPC) is a final-year medical subject at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It focusses on primary health care training. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated existing decentralised training challenges, including standardisation and patient exposure. This study explored IPC students’ experiences and perceptions of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was informed by the technology acceptance model, community of inquiry model and self-regulated learning theory. A cross-sectional online survey was followed by focus group discussions (FGDs) (n = 2 and n = 3, respectively). All 316 medical students in the 2021 cohort were eligible to participate. Closed-ended survey responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. The FGDs were thematically analysed.
Results: The survey response rate was 52% (n = 164/316). Most students found the online content easily accessible (93.3%) and logically organised (80.0%). The course structure and organisation, and the range of online activities offered were the main features that supported learning. The main challenges included the content not being comprehensive and the difficulty of learning patient management from online content. Suggested improvements related to the course design and ways students and instructors can maximise the affordances of the online course.
Conclusion: Acknowledging the limitations of learning clinical content online, the participants felt the course supported their learning. Our findings suggest that well-designed online content can augment clinical learning.
Contribution: This study contributes to the discourse on the value of online learning for clinical teaching. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-06a8e0a8819f4acfa6126f72a28e0f88 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-06a8e0a8819f4acfa6126f72a28e0f882025-02-11T13:26:42ZengAOSISSouth African Family Practice2078-61902078-62042025-01-01671e1e910.4102/safp.v67i1.60344642Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learningAviva Ruch0Joel Francis1Ann Z. George2Unit of Undergraduate Medical Education, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgCentre for Health Science Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgBackground: Integrated primary care (IPC) is a final-year medical subject at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It focusses on primary health care training. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated existing decentralised training challenges, including standardisation and patient exposure. This study explored IPC students’ experiences and perceptions of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was informed by the technology acceptance model, community of inquiry model and self-regulated learning theory. A cross-sectional online survey was followed by focus group discussions (FGDs) (n = 2 and n = 3, respectively). All 316 medical students in the 2021 cohort were eligible to participate. Closed-ended survey responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. The FGDs were thematically analysed. Results: The survey response rate was 52% (n = 164/316). Most students found the online content easily accessible (93.3%) and logically organised (80.0%). The course structure and organisation, and the range of online activities offered were the main features that supported learning. The main challenges included the content not being comprehensive and the difficulty of learning patient management from online content. Suggested improvements related to the course design and ways students and instructors can maximise the affordances of the online course. Conclusion: Acknowledging the limitations of learning clinical content online, the participants felt the course supported their learning. Our findings suggest that well-designed online content can augment clinical learning. Contribution: This study contributes to the discourse on the value of online learning for clinical teaching.https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/6034clinical teachingonline learningmedical studentsmedical educationcovid-19decentralised trainingintegrated primary care |
| spellingShingle | Aviva Ruch Joel Francis Ann Z. George Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning South African Family Practice clinical teaching online learning medical students medical education covid-19 decentralised training integrated primary care |
| title | Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| title_full | Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| title_fullStr | Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| title_short | Final-year students’ perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| title_sort | final year students perceptions of online integrated primary care learning |
| topic | clinical teaching online learning medical students medical education covid-19 decentralised training integrated primary care |
| url | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/6034 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT avivaruch finalyearstudentsperceptionsofonlineintegratedprimarycarelearning AT joelfrancis finalyearstudentsperceptionsofonlineintegratedprimarycarelearning AT annzgeorge finalyearstudentsperceptionsofonlineintegratedprimarycarelearning |